Sound track printing attachment for motion picture printers



March 14, 1933.

F. J. COOTZ, JR., ET AL SOUND TRACK PRINTING ATTACHMENT FOR MOTION PICTURE PRINTERS Filed May 16, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March. 14, 1933- F. J. cooTz. JR., Er AL SOUND TRACK PRINTING ATTACHMENT FOR MOTION PICTURE PRINTERS Filed May 16, 1931- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 .73 as .99 10 as 34 Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES FRANK'J. 000m, .73., AND GEORGE SE11), or HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA SOUND TRACK PRINTING ATTACHMENT FOR MOTION PICTURE PRINTERS Application filed Kay 16,

This invention has to do-in ageneral way with photographic printers, and is more particularly related to improvements in continu ous printers for motion picture film whereby a printer of the ordinary type may be altered so that a single printing machine may be used to print both pictures and sound track from two negative films onto one positive stock film in a. single peration.

The most common procedure followed in making the so-called talking pictures where the sound record is photographically recorded, is to photograph the action and record the sound in two different parts of. the studio. 15 This procedure has numerous. advantages which need not be discussed'here, but the printing or transposition of the photographs and records, made in this manner, onto a single positive film wherethe ordinary type of printing machine is used, has practically doubled the cost involved incarrying out the printing operation. The usual procedure followed is to first expose a positive stock film to the negative picture film by. passing the two films across a light box which contains an aperture of a size such that during the exposure of the film sufficient space is left on one side ofthe picture to permit the introduction of the sound track. The film, after it passes the light box, is wound upon a take-up reel or bobbin, and after this operation is completed, is delivered to another printing machine having a light box provided with an aperture situated at one side of the film in connection with which the negative film carrying the sound track is advanced on the light box and over the aperture so as to print the sound track ontothe positive stock film adjacent the pictures. It will be seen that this procedure necessitates the passage of each reel of positive film through two printing machines. g

It is a primary object of this invention to produce an attachment for the ordinary type of printing machine which is of simple form and construction, can be economically manufactured, and easily attached to the machine whereby both thepictures and the sound track can be printed upon the positive stock film in a single operation,

1931. Serial No. 537,826.

The attachment contemplated by'this invention includes two additional reels, or bob bins which are mounted on or attachedto the frame structure of the printing machine and both of which are adapted to be driven by the driving mechanism of the printing machine for use as take-up reels; one of the reels being a negative take-up, preferably adapted to receive the negative film carrying the sound track, and the other being a take-up for )0 the positive stock film.

Thedevice contemplated'by this invention consists in a general way of an arm plate which is adapted to be mounted upon the frame structure of any standard of printing Q5 machine, and this arm plate carries a light box which is provided with an apertured portion associated with film-guiding means, wherein the soundtrack on a sound track negative is printed onto the edge of the posi- 7 other objectsattending its production, will be best understood from the following'description of the accompanying drawings, which are chosen for illustrative purposes only, and in which i Fig. 1 is an elevational viewshowing a common type of printing machine equip d 9. with the improvement contemplated by this invention; I

Fig. 2 is a sectional view which may be considered as havingbeen taken in a plane represented by the line 22 in Fig. .1, and I shows the light box contemplated by this invention in outside elevation;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken through a preferred form of light box contemplated by this invention; and

, Supporting bars 14 and 14'. The cross me m- Fig. 4 is an end View taken in the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. 3.

More particularly describing the invention as herein illustrated, reference numeral 11 indicates the frame structure of a developing machine which is shown as embodying a cross member 12, standard 13, and horizontal ber 12 carries a gate-supporting plate 15 which isofthe usual type employed in printing machines of this character and which is shownas carrying a light gate 16. The light gate 16 is provided withan aperture or aper-- tures, not shown; the size of suchapertures being controlledby a lever member indicated by referencenumera-l '17. In this form of .printingmachine the gatemember 16 is associated with a driven sprocket wheel,-not shown, whereby the film is continuously advanced past the apertures therein.

- Reference, numeral'2O indicates a driven feedsprocket wheel which is mounted upon thegate-supporting plate 15 near its'upper 'end, beingsupported thereon by means of a shaft 21 whichextends through a bearing sleeve 22 and is adapted to be driven from any suitable source of power, not shown.

This shaft is shown'as being provided with a pulley 23 which is engaged by a belt 24, the belt passing over a pulley 25 which drives the sprocket wheel in the gate member 16. The pulley 25 is mounted upon a shaft 26 whichcarries'another pulley 27 adapted for use in driving the various take up reels which receive the film passing the gate 16. The developing machines of this type, as ordinarily constructed, are provided with two feed reels "30 and 31, which are mountedupon'the top member 14, and with two take-up reels 32 and 33 which are mounted on the lower bar 14.

The gate-supporting plate 15 is provided with guide rollers 34and 35 situated adjacent the feed sprocket wheel 20. Additional guide rollers 36 and 37- are interposed between the sprocket wheel 20 and the gate 16 for the purpose of guiding the film prior toits passage over the aperture in the light box 16.

After leaving the light box 16 the film passes g plate 45, which is secured to the upper end portion of the gate supporting plate by means of screws 46. Mounted on the arm plate 45 nearits lower end, we provide a second light box 47 and adjacent the light box 47 we provide a driven sprocket wheel 48 which is mounted upon a shaft 49 that extends through a bearing sleeve 50 on the arm plate 45.

The shaft 49 extends through the arm plate 1 45 and has provided at its extending end a with agear 56 which engages a gear 57 on v the shaft 21. This last described mechanism including the sprocket wheel 48 is used to draw the film past the apertured portion of thesecondlight box 47.

In the operation of the device as described so far, the'reel 31 is provided with a first negative film indicated by reference character F which preferably carries the pictures to be printed upon a positive stock film P,

whichis: delivered. fromsthe positive stock feed reel .30.

These two films are led over the guide rollers 35 and 34, and over the driven sprocketroller 20 from which they pass over guide rollers 344 and 35to the set of guide rollers indicated at 36 and '37 from which they'are brought into engagement and drawn through the gate of the light box 16.

The twofilms coming from the light box 16 are drawn over the guide roller 40 from which the first negativefilm F is led t-o the first negative take-up reel 33. The positive stock film instead of being delivered to the reel 32, as is the case in the ordinary type .of printing machine, is led upwardly over a guide roller-60 whereit is brought into engagement with a sound track negative or a second negative film F coming from the second negative feed reel 32; The two films are then led across the second light box 47 through the medium *ofthe driven sprocket 48, after which they are led over guide rollers 61 and 62 from which-the positive stock film is led to the positive take-up reel 42, and the negative I track film is led to the negative track or second take-up reel 43. The various take-up reels 33,42 and 43 are driven by means of a belt or plurality of belts indicated at 65. In the drawings we show a single belt which passes over the drive pulley 25 on the shaft 26 and the intermediate portions of which pass over idle pulleys 66 and 67. It will be understood that this driving system may be varied without departing from the scope of our invention. g

The details in the construction of the preferred form of light box such as we propose to use for the second light box 47 are best illustrated in Fig. 3, where the light box 47 is shown as comprising a cylindrical housing 70, the inner endof which is secured to a flange plate 71 by means of screws 72. The flange plate 71 is mounted upon the arm plate 45in any suitable manner such as by means of the screws 73.

The housing 7 0. contains a light socket 75 which supports a light 7 6 and is provided with an enlarged light chamber 77 which contains an inner sleeve member 78. The sleeve member 7 8 is attached to a crank shaft 79 which extends through'an end plate 80 and posing the sound track on either side of the film,and are adapted to permit the passage of the film through the apparatus in either direction, thus eliminating the step of rewinding the negative film between exposures. The two apertures 83 and 84 are adapted to be optionally opened and closed by means of the sleeve member 78 which is contained within the housing 70. This sleeve member is provided with angularly spaced aperatures 85 and 86 which are in the same planes with,

apertures 83 and 84, respectively, but due to their angularly disposed relation with each other are adapted to maintain one of the apertures 83 or 84 closed when the other is open. From this construction it will be seen that when the sleeve member is positioned in the manner shown in Fig. 3, the aperture 83 is open for exposing the sound track when it is positioned on the left-hand side of the film, and when the crank is rotated so as to bring the aperture 86 opposite the aperture 84, the aperture 83 is closed and the mechanism is then adjusted for exposing the sound track on the right-hand side of the film.

Mounted on the upper surface of the housing 70 above the apertured portion thereof, we provide a saddle member 88 which is employed for the purpose of guiding the film over the apertured portion so that the posi-' tion of the film does not vary during its This saddle member is provided with a pair ofribs 89 movement past the apertures.

and 89 which are adapted to engage the edges of the film, and it is provided with apertures 90 and 90 which correspond in position with the apertures 83 and 84 in the housing 70. It will be noted that the portion of the sad dle member between the apertures is recessed as indicated at 93 to prevent scratching the surface of the film during its movement across the saddle member. For the purpose of holding the films in tight engagement during their exposure we provide the housing with a gate member 95 which is pivotally mounted at one end between ears 96 on a gate supporting plate 97. This gate member has a curbed extending portion 98 that isadapted to lie over the saddle member during the operation of the printing machine and this portion of the gate member is provided with recesses 99 and 99' adapted to receive the ribs 89 and 89' of the saddle member.

Reference 'numeral'100 indicates a latch which is used in holdingthe gate closed, and reference numeral 101 indicates an adjustable stop pin mounted in theouter edge'of the gate and adapted to engage the rib 89 for adjusting the space between the under surface of the gate member and the upper surface of the saddle member.:

For the purpose of holding the gate. in an open position during'the threading :of the machine, or while it is not in operation, we provide the pivoted end of the gate member with acam nose 103 adapted to engage a a pin,104 which is mounted in the plate-97 and projects'downwardly throughthe housing. The pin 104 is pressed upwardly by means of a spring 105 and'for the purpose of providing a light trap around the pin we provide the interior of the housing adjacent 1 to the point in which the pin is mounted with a fiber ring 106 which is engaged by the end portion of the pin and is provided with yieldable spring members 107 adapted to hold the fiber ring in pressure engagement with the pin. Reference numeral 108 indicates an aperture provided in the housing for the purpose of ventilation. I

It will be apparent'from the foregoing description that the device contemplated by this invention comprises-an attachment for any ordinary type of motion picture film printing machine which is of simple form and construction, and may be economically manufactured and through the use of which both the sound track and the picture may be printed upon a positive stock film in a single operation.

It is to be understood that while we have described and illustrated one preferred form of our invention, the invention is not limited to the precise construction described above, but includes within its scope whatever changes fairly come within the spirit of the appended claims.

We claim as'our invention:

j 1. An attachment for a film printing 'machine embodying: anarm plate adapted to be attached to the'frame of said machine; an apertured light drum'mounted on said arm plate; a gate mounted on said drum opposite the aperture therein for guidinga sensitized film and a record bearing film over said aperture; a sprocketroller mounted on said arm plate in offset relation with said drum and in substantial alignment with said gate; and means fordriving' said sprocket roller so as to pull saidfilms engaged by said roller across said aperture. I

' 2. An attachment for a film printing machine embodying: an arm'plate adapted to be attached to the frame of said machine; an apertured light drum mounted on said, arm

Y aperture; an adjustable stop on said gate plate; a' gate member pivotally' mounted on said lightdrum and having a film engaging portion adapted to be positioned above said aperture; a sprocket roller mounted on said arm plate with its axis oifset ahead of the axis of said .drum; and means for driving said roller so as to draw a sensitized film and a record bearing film engaged thereby across a said aperture.

3. An attachment for a filmprinting machine embodying: an arm plate adapted to be attached to the frame ofsaid machine; an apertured light drum mounted on said arm plate; a gate member pivotally mounted on said light drum andh-aving a film engaging portion adapted to be positioned above said aperture; latch means for holding the film engaging portion of said gate-member above said aperture; a sprocket roller mounted on said armplate with its axis ofiset ahead of the axis of said drum; and means for driving said roller so as to draw a sensitized film and a record bearing film engaged by said roller across said aperture. Y i I 4". An attachment for a film printing machine embodying :an arm plate adapted to be attachedto the frame of said machine; an

apertured light drum mounted on saidrarm plate; a gate member pivotally mounted on said light drum and having a film engaging portion adapted to be positioned above said member for regulating the distance between the film engagingjsurface of said gate membervand the apertured portion ofsaid drum;

a sprocket roller mounted on said arm plate with its axis ofi'set aheadof the axis of said drum; and means for driving said roller so as to draw a sensitized film and a record bearing film engaged by said roller across said aperture. i

5. An attachment for a chine embodyingian arm plateadapted to be secured to the frame of said machine; a housing mounted on said arm plate, said housing containing a light chamber and being provided with an aperture for the exposure A of a sensitized and a record bearing film; and filmdriving means mounted on said arm plate for moving said films across the aper ture' in said housing, said last mentioned film printing maindividuallyopening and closing said apertures; and'film driving means for moving a film and a record bearing film acrosst'he .apertured portion of said housing, saidlast mentioned; means comprising a sprocket roller mounted on said arm plate withiits axis offset ahead of the axis of said drum and means-for driving said roller.

7 7 An attachment for a film printing machine'embodying: an arm plate adapted to be secured to the vframe of said'machine; a housing mounted on said arm plate, said housing containing a light chamber and being provided with a plurality of film exposing apertures; means in said housing comprising Intestimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands at Los Angeles, California, this 5dayiof May,11931. I T

"FRANK J. oooTz, Ji

GEORGE SEID.

' means comprising a sprocket roller mounted on said arm plate with its axis ofi'set from the axis of said housing, a shaft rotatably mounted on said arm plate, means for driving said shaft from said printing machine, .andrmeans for driving said sprocket roller from said shaft."

I i 6. An attachment for a film printing machine embodyingi an arm [plate adapted to p be secured to the frame of said machine; a

housing mounted on said arm plate, said housing containing a light chamber and being provided with a plurality of film exposing apertures; means in said housing for 

